The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-02-24
THE MoRPHIA HAeIr.
what Chemist Has to Say About tho
Fashionable EVIL.

|
II was in the window of an instru
ment-maker's shop-a handsomely
wrought silver box that, from its shape
and general appearance. might pass a.
receptacle for matches or for snuff
That it was not intended for either pur-
pose was evident from the articles sur.
rounding it. A question addressed to
the man ut work behind the counter
brought him to the window, where, af.
ter adjusting his spcctacles more firmly
on his nose. he finally succeeded in
discovering the novelty referred to.
and drew it out with book-rod.
This" he said, els one of the newest
of my own inventions, and though it be
but a small thing, IFS price is big
thing, or would be TO some people. Do
you know. sir" he continued, that that
little trinket is worth 1922 And tiny as
it is it can do more damage than its in
noccnt looks imply. This is morphia
case, and though we do sell few to
doctors. the greater number of sales are
to people who are addicted TO the NOR
phia habit
This little spring on the bottom OF
the box opens the lid without the slight
est nose, and by pressing it again
when closing it will produce similar
result" Here he gave a short exhibit
ton of how noislessy the act OF open
ing or closing it might be done. Now,
you know, doctor would not especi-
al I.cira cnnh Int
people who have formed this habit 1t is
essential that in indulging they should
not be noticed by others. As it is
frequently necessary for them to apply
it when on the street or while travelling
in the cars we must comply with their
wishes and make these cases and their
contents as harmless and innocent in APP
pcarancc rs possible.
We have adopted the silver match
box shape and this noiseless catch on
this acc cunt.
I'm this first compartment. the in
strumentmaker continued, as he point
ed to the first of the three parts into
which the box was divided, 'the wires
for pointing the injector are kept. in
the second is small vial of morphia,
in the third is Il dainty little silver in
jector, which looks more like pencil
case than the harmful thing it is.
Now. sir, you see how easy man can
put the desired quantity into the injector
at home and when outside how easily
he can puncture his skin and inject the
drug"
This little lecture upon the quaint
instrument aroused the curiosity of the
reporter. and on his way home, late at
night, he stopped at a wcl-known drug
store on prominent street to ask
something about the drug itself. There
he learned that the usual amount used
by physicians in thoir practice, when
necessity for h '.udermic injec ton
of morphia occurred, was from one
fourth to e-eighth of grain; that the
drug was really the active principle of
opium. and that its indulgence as
habit was extremely dangerous, event
ually fatal and that il was also very
costly habit.
THE class of people," said the e4-
perienced night-clcrk. "who are fire.
quently found through sudden deaths
or accidents that expose the truth
to have been addicted 70 morphia are
mostly men who are living in high
pressure style. The lower class, and.
in fact many of the upper class of
society, and professional people are
forming the habit / know promi-
nent druggist in the eastern states
who used it steady for years, and
when he died suddenly from its effects
his arms and legs were found to be
literally blackened where the skin had
been punctured while using the in
jector. Every night someone comes
in here for it. We sell greater
amount to ladies, and mostly young
ladiss, than to men. Who they are
OF 10 what class they belong can not
tell, as they only go at intervals to one
store, and in this business curiosity
would be bad fault
1T is hard to tell just how much
one who has become habited TO this
drug can stand, rs it depends mainly
upon the length of time they have
been indulging in il. This is true in
every habit, and the longer they use
il the more is necessary to effect them.
The habit is evidently growing, and it
may some day need legislation to pre-
vent it from becoming as popular as
the use of opium is in ChAa. Sd
Paul Tl0Je